The present invention relates generally to a support for cutting firewood, and more particularly, to a firewood cutting support or sawbuck for cutting uncut firewood stock into pieces of desired lengths.
Uncut firewood stock is normally supplied in six or eight foot lengths. These lengths are first cut into pieces of desired length, normally 16 inches or 24 inches, with a chain saw or other similar cutting device. The pieces are then split with an axe or maul to the desired firewood size. In some instances, the firewood stock is cut into smaller pieces by laying the log on the ground and cutting the same with a chainsaw. Such an operation, normally provides no means for cutting the log into pieces of exact desired length. Further, because the entire log is supported, the cut piece cannot fall away from the saw during the cutting operation; thus, the saw tends to bind in the saw kerf as the cut is being made. Additionally, the saw sometimes will contact the ground near the end of the cutting operation, thereby causing the saw to become dull.
In other firewood cutting operations, the piece of uncut firewood stock is supported by a sawbuck or other means. This permits the person cutting the firewood to stand upright and prevents the saw from contacting the ground during the cutting operation. These sawbucks commonly consist of a pair of end braces which form a v-shaped notch to support the log at two points. Most fail to include means for insuring that the firewood is cut into pieces of desired length or means for preventing the log from binding against the saw during the cutting operation.
One prior art structure which does provide a means for insuring that the log is cut into accurate and desired lengths is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,325,543 issued to York. This structure includes a plurality of log holders which are spaced from each other a distance corresponding to the desired lengths into which the firewood is to be cut. Each of these holders includes a pair of holder members which are spaced from one another to function as a guide for the saw. In using the device of York, several pieces of uncut firewood stock are placed in the sawbuck and cut simultaneously by passing the saw through the saw guide. After these cuts are made, the logs must then be removed from the sawbuck and new logs put in their place. No means is provided in this structure for preventing the saw from binding within the saw kerf during a cutting operation.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a support for cutting firewood which not only insures that each of the firewood pieces is cut to the desired length, but also insures that the pieces being cut do not bind against the saw blade during the cutting operation.